Ryan T. Bell chronicles cowboy life and backcountry experiences in the Intermountain West, where he lives in Montana. Born in New Mexico and raised in Colorado, Ryan is a product of the American West. He received a degree in U.S. History from the University of Colorado, and has worked for a decade in the ranching and outfitting industries.
The highlite of his career, thus far, was a five-year stint in South America, where he worked with the gauchos of Argentina. Bell has since returned to the U.S., where he wrangles horses and writes from his home in Montana. He is a member of Western Writers of America, and American Horse Publications.
I’m interested in hearing from readers. E-mail me with questions, comments, or story leads: info@ryantbell.com
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Ryan,
I’ll try to be breif here, but I do tend to ramble… I’ve been reading your articles in Western Horseman and love them. Most every month I check out your editorial title and am prepared to snear and scoff and disagree… but I always appreciate what you say, how you say it, and usually, much to my surprise, I do agree! Thank you and keep up the great work. I look forward to continued reading, there in the magazine, and now here since I found your site (mentioned in this latest issue of WH).
We’re a small family guest ranch (note: not dude) and outfitters. My hubby has been at it for nearly 30 years here, and before that, worked as a kid for outfitting parents and relatives. Me, I’m a former city slicker… hooked on horses, a good life, and a great way to raise our son.
If you have a chance and want to check in on other fellow bloggers, besides my “main” blog at http://highmountainmuse.wordpress.com/, I’ve got a horse blog at http://highmountainhorse.blogspot.com/. It’s girlie, I suppose, but there’s an awesome community of fellow horsewomen out there – though very few mountain riders I’ve met so far.
Best to you, and keep up the great work,
Gin
Gin,
Thanks for writing in. It’s a great feeling to know your work is read in as handsome a corner of the globe as Creede, CO. Do I remember seeing a story in WH about your son Forrest? That’s pretty incredible. I appreciate modern families living in the outfitting tradition.
Say, nice work on the blog. I particularly enjoyed the entry about your solo pack trip journey. Sounds like it was a good voyage of self discovery. Thanks for putting the blog and Lost Trail Ranch on my radar.
Regards,
Ryan
Ryan,
I wanted to say I am a huge fan of your work. I don’t skip anything you write and enjoy reading every detail you put into your stories. They make me feel as though I am there with you and when you are down in Argentina I wish I was.
I have worked all over the west on any ranch that can handle my old ways and young mind. If its not horseback I have a hard time even finding a interest in it. Your articles of Argentina show me there are still drifters in this world who enjoy the life style that even this Montana cowboy wishes he could enjoy once.
Thanks for letting me ramble on and hope your pastures are green and your skies are blue. And please keep up the amazing work.
Your pal,
Dusty McDaniel
Ryan, I read your article about fitting my horse for hunting season and my ears perked up. I ride all summer- team roping, mounted shooting, breed horse shows, and finally, World Appaloosa Show at the end of October. Early November will find me in Wyo with a elk cow tag hunting on a ranch (no 4-wheelers allowed). Also I’m planning a horseback deer hunt in the Sandhills in late Nov. I loved your tip on lashing a deer or elk carcass on my saddle to bring it back to the trailhead. Any tips on splitting an elk carcass lengthwise? Will it balance OK? Will it flex enough to lay flat? I’m sure it would take at least 2 or 3 people to load and tie down. Any more pics would be helpful. Thanks for the great ideas!! Jay
Jay, glad to hear that the saddle hitch will be usefull. It works great for smallish big game. For a bigger load like you’re talking about, I’m a fan of splitting the carcass into “halves.” Most guys “quarter” their meat, which is a ton of work and actually complicates packing. If you can drum up a back issue of November 2008′s Western Horseman, I wrote a feature article titled “Packing Game” that goes into better detail (unfortunately, it doesn’t have informative photographs), but here are the basic steps that should get you going.
1) Dress animal as usual, but leave the hide on (important for cleanliness and sanitation).
2) Remove the head, even if you don’t want a trophy mount/
3) Split the carcass along the spine. First, use a hatchet by holding it in place over the spine and using a hammer to “crack” the bone and create a fissure down the back. Then use a bone saw and knife to cut the carcass clean into two halves.
4) Load one “half” per pack animal, hide down (keeps your saddle clean, and the hide creates friction to keep load in place). Point the legs toward the horse’s rear so it won’t snag. Flexing won’t be a problem, so long as carcass is reasonably fresh.
5) Tie down using either the saddle hitch you read about, or a pack saddle hitch like a Box Hitch.
6) Hit the trail!
Hope this helps. Let me know if it works! Good luck and thanks for reading.
Sincerely,
Ryan
Ryan,
I love your articles! Common sense with an edge of humor, I always flip to yours first in WH. I was checking out your blog just now, Ian Tyson’s M.C. Horses is one of my favorites and I always think about it when a long time outfit liquidates. Take care and happy trails!
Emily